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On Saturday, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein volunteered in the Hurricane Sandy-devestated Rockaways. And, yesterday, Madonna visited the Queens beach community.Museum of Modern Art curator Klaus Biesenbach, who has a home there, has been rallying people (including celebrities) to help with relief and volunteer efforts at Aid for Rockaway. He only returned to the Rockaways last week—”my first night in rockaway post sandy…..very dark out here….”— and excitedly noted that stores were re-opening yesterday. He was with Madonna yesterday and later Tweeted, “thanks to madonna for volunteering and keeping the hopes up in the rockaways today!”

Over a week ago, Madonna included her name on a letter from New York artists to Mayor Bloomberg, which notes, “Demographically, it is very diverse and not a privileged area. In recent years, the Rockaways became an incredible inspiration and haven for the artists and creative community of New York. As the Rockaways are, at their best, a melting pot between the local community and the creative energies of the city, it is a location where New York is anticipating and creating the images and dreams we all live on.”The signers, who include Marina Abramovic, Matthew Barney, Lady Gaga, James Franco, Spike Jonze, Padma Lakshmi, Patti Smith, Rufus Wainwright, and many others, also tell Bloomberg they “support the city in your amazing, monumental efforts in all boroughs to save our city and to encourage the creative communities in New York to invent exemplary ways of helping our neighbors and fellow New Yorkers!”Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were also spotted helping in the Rockaways over the weekend. Knicks star Amare Stoudemire also volunteered on Saturday.

Judy Garland's Wizard of Oz dress fetches $480,000 The buyer of the dress has not been identified.

A dress worn by Judy Garland in the Wizard of Oz has sold for $480,000 (£302,000) at auction in Beverly Hills.

The price for the blue and white gingham pinafore dress was in line with expectations, Julien's Auctions said.

A similar dress worn during tests for the classic 1939 film fetched $910,000 (£572,500) in 2011, Reuters reports.

Auctioneer Darren Julien said the difference in price was due to the fact that fewer versions of the test dress were made.

Neither dress fetched anywhere near the $4.6m (£2.8m) spent last year on Marilyn Monroe's white "subway dress" from the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch, and the $3.7m (£2.3m) taken for Audrey Hepburn's Ascot dress from My Fair Lady.

The Wizard of Oz dress was made by the famous MGM costume designer Adrian Greenberg, who was commonly known simply as Adrian.The buyer has not been identified.

However, Judy Garland's dress was not the only highlight of the two-day Hollywood Icons auction.

A green floral dress worn by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music fetched $38,400 (£24,150); a racing jacket belonging to Steve McQueen sold for $50,000 (£31,500) and a purple wool skirt worn by Marilyn Monroe during the making of the 1954 film River of No Return went for the same amount.

Meanwhile, $1,375 (£865) was paid each for a slice of wedding cake from both Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding and the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.sourceWhich movie costume or prop would you most like, ontd?

Joining recent original series acquisitions such as the hit Lost Girl and the upcoming Primeval: New World and Sinbad, Syfy today announced it will premiere the time traveling police drama Continuum – Canada’s highest-rated scripted basic cable series – beginning Monday, January 14 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Continuum stars Rachel Nichols as Kiera Cameron, a cop from the future who finds herself trapped in the present day. When a group of fanatical terrorists escapes their planned execution in 2077 by vaulting back in time to 2012, they inadvertently sweep along Kiera.

With unexpected assistance from teen tech genius Alec Sadler, played by Erik Knudsen, Kiera infiltrates the local police department and forms an uneasy alliance with her new partner, detective Carlos Fonnegra, portrayed by Victor Webster. Though desperate to get back to her husband and son, Kiera concentrates on bringing down the terrorists before they change the course of history.

The January 14 premiere will lead into the premieres of Being Human and Lost Girl.

Fox Searchlight is in overdrive mode today with their biggest Oscar contender of the year, bar "The Sessions" with "Hitchock." They've released six new photos, a clip from the film, a new poster and a pretty enlightening featurette which gives you the intriguing meat of the movie. It's about more than just the making of "Psycho" or a Hitchcock biopic and instead about the critical relationship between Hitchcock and Alma Reville: his wife, his editor, his scriptwriter and his most trusted creative confidante.

Lead by Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren, "Hitchcock" features an all-star cast that includes Scarlett Johansson, Danny Huston, Toni Collette, Jessica Biel, Michael Stuhlbarg, James D'Arcy, Michael Wincott, Richard Portnow and Kurtwood Smith. The official synopsis calls it a "a love story about one of the most influential filmmakers of the last century, Alfred Hitchcock and his wife and partner Alma Reville. The film takes place during the making of Hitchcock’s seminal movie Psycho."

Based on the book "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho" by Stephen Rebello, "Hitchcock" is directed by Sacha Gervasi (the excellent documentary, "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil!") and written by John J. McLaughlin ("Black Swan"). The film recently kicked off the AFI Fest. "Hitchcock" is in theaters November 23.

This is just jaw-dropping stuff we’re sharing here today. Director Peter Jackson has always been good to fans, sharing production video blogs, preview trailers, and extra special DVD / Blu-ray features. Today, however, is phenomenal. We’ve got 150 behind the scenes pictures from the set of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Any fan of LOTR who has been patiently awaiting this movie will probably be drooling on their keyboard right about now. This is a huge gallery of pictures, courtesy of Comic Book Movie, and features a quote from Peter Jackson to kick off the first slide. Since it’s a bit hard to read on our site, here’s the full quote:

“The question was: “Who are we going to get to direct this movie?” I guess it was at that point that I began to rethink whether or not I could take it on. In the end, I said to myself: “If I were going to make a film of The Hobbit then it would have to be a film that I wanted to see and one I could enjoy directing.” I then had to decide how I could make that process enjoyable and finally made the decision that I was going to be the same filmaker I had been on Lord of the Rings, but was simply returning to Middle-earth to tell a new story.” – Peter Jackson

Official Synopsis: The adventure follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever…Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of ingenuity and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.Source

There's a BUNCH more at the source. Also, we totally need an Ian McKellen tag

"Bionic” wasn’t this commercially acceptable, packaged-up, proper thing. But it was an experimental, beautiful piece of work that will live on in time and make its mark later on in its life. It was very artistic."

After a turbulent two years taking in divorce, critical drubbings and dramas on stage and off, Christina Aguilera is back with a new album – and the same fiery attitude. She tells Craig McLean what’s made her such a tough cookie.

In a dimly lit bedroom in Beverly Hills, Christina Aguilera and I are discussing the current crop of television-talent-show feuds.

The octave-straddling superstar, who has sold 43 million records and won five Grammy Awards since her debut single, Genie in a Bottle, in 1999, is a judge and mentor on the American television programme The Voice (which was adapted for the British audience by the BBC earlier this year).

The Voice has since engaged in an intense ratings war with Simon Cowell’s American X Factor. Also at war, more importantly, are the celebrity judges on each of the shows.

On The X Factor, the rapper Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey are at such loggerheads that it’s become national news.

Even President Obama has commented, 'I think they are going to be able to sort it out, I am confident. I am all about bringing people together, working for the same cause.’

On The Voice, there is constant on-screen bickering between Aguilera and Adam Levine of the band Maroon 5. How much of that is real, I ask her, and how much is a pantomime for the benefit of the television cameras?

As she so often does in response to a question (I’ve interviewed her before), Aguilera laughs – a hard, rattling, not-really-that-amused laugh.

'Um, you know, I think that we’re [Adam] both really passionate people. I live very much in the moment on The Voice – I don’t watch the show back – I feel what I feel, I say what I say, and then I leave it be.

'And I go home and either be with my son [four-year-old Max] or go into the studio and record my own record. I compartmentalise it.’

Aguilera talks quickly and at length, often without a pause, and sometimes without answering the question.

When I press her, she adds that 'at the beginning we all got along great. But then we started filming and I was just taken aback – I was not expecting how competitive Adam was. He wants to win!’

Out comes that laugh again. 'And words were tossed round. And if a guy’s gonna come and try to get in there and be competitive with me, well, I’m kind of a ball-buster myself. ’

Still, Aguilera and Levine did manage to play 'nice’ long enough to record Moves Like Jagger together. Their collaboration was the second biggest-selling single in Britain last year. And the song nicely rebooted Maroon 5’s career.

'I don’t think they’ve experienced that kind of success before [Moves Like Jagger],’ she says, pointedly.

The Los Angeles band went from being a somewhat lumpen funk-rock combo to taking on a more swaggering musical attitude – their recent hit single Payphone is evidence of a definite post-Jagger style shift.

Christina Aguilera is sitting cross-legged on a crumpled hotel bed. Her blonde hair tumbles down her back, her knuckle-duster jewellery glints.

The lights are low, and so is her neckline. Aguilera is wearing (just about) a slashed and torn Mickey Mouse T-shirt, revealing bras (plural) and a lot of cleavage.

On the floor lies a pair of 6in-high Christian Louboutin stilettos encrusted with metal spikes. 'Those are don’t-f—-with-me shoes,’ the 31-year-old states with some pride.

Aguilera was born on Staten Island into a family rocked by domestic violence. Her Ecuadorian father was an American army sergeant and his job took the family across the country. When she was six her parents divorced.

Two years ago she told me that music had provided a refuge during her childhood.

'Soul and blues spoke to me at an age when many would think I was too young to appreciate it. I was six and I was listening to Billie Holiday! I related to blues and soul because I never had a safe haven growing up.

'It was a very chaotic environment to grow up in.’

Aguilera, her mother and younger sister relocated to Pittsburgh. The little girl with the big voice started to make a name for herself at local talent shows.

When she was 13 she won a place on the television show The Mickey Mouse Club where she sang, danced and acted alongside fellow future stars Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling.

The exposure led to a record deal in her mid-teens. But fame was already coming at a cost: she was bullied at school by jealous peers. In our 2010 interview she insisted these trials only made her stronger.

'I look back at that and I smile, in a way. Because it was such training for the bigger picture, for dealing with nastiness and negativity.’

Aguilera’s defiance worked its way into her music, too. She moved on from the squeaky-clean teen-pop of her early singles towards something altogether more adult.

On her fourth album, 'Stripped’ (2002), she took control of much of the song-writing, unveiling a harder sound and, in the video for Dirrty, an extremely raunchy new look.

She rebranded herself as Xtina, a hard-bodied diva with multiple piercings and buttock-baring chaps. Not that she subsumed her vocal talents in a welter of provocative sexual imagery: the album’s second single, Beautiful, was a life-affirming ballad that proved a worldwide hit.

We’re here to talk about 'Lotus’, her seventh studio album, which I am permitted to hear only once, immediately before the interview.

It is a dance-flavoured pop record and is being billed as her comeback after two turbulent years away from the recording studio. But, I am told by her publicity team, we are not to rake through any rumours pertaining to those two years.

It seems that earlier in the day another journalist mentioned something that made Aguilera and/or her people unhappy.

The question is, what?

The poor sales of her album 'Bionic’ (2010) and the resulting cancelled tour? The critical and commercial flop that was her first big film role in Burlesque (2011)? Her divorce from her husband of five years, Jordan Bratman?

Fluffing a line of the American national anthem at last year’s Super Bowl, then, seven days later, stumbling on the stairs at the Grammy Awards? Or perhaps somebody asked about the night she spent detained at the LAPD’s pleasure last year.

She and her boyfriend, Matthew Rutler (they met during the making of Burlesque on which he was a set-assistant), were pulled over in West Hollywood at 2.45am.

He was charged with driving under the influence. As for Aguilera, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s spokesman said, 'When she got out of the car she couldn’t stand. She didn’t know where she was or her own address.’

All of this added up to the suggestion that Aguilera’s life was in free-fall.

Last month quotes appeared online – apparently given to a journalist at the American magazine Billboard – in which she claimed she’d been subject to years of intense pressure from her record company to keep her yo-yoing weight under control.

She said the label had told her that 'people I toured with would also miss out if I gained weight because I’d sell no records or tickets for my shows’.

But, the quotes continued, 'I told them during the “Lotus” recording, “You’re working with a fat girl. Know it now and get over it.” They need a reminder sometimes that I don’t belong to them. It’s my body.’

The problem is, when the Billboard interview was finally published, those quotes were nowhere to be found. Were they fabricated? She cuts me off with That Laugh.

'Yeah. I don’t know about any comments.’

'She doesn’t know about that,’ chips in her assistant, who is hovering a few steps from the bed.

Really? 'No,’ replies Aguilera. 'But I do know that I have spoken about embracing curves and loving my body. It’s always been something that I’m comfortable with. But yeah, reflecting on your specific enquiry, I don’t know anything about that.’

'She doesn’t look at good press, or bad,’ comes her assistant’s voice, while from the bed there’s the tinkle of jewellery and swish of hair.

So she didn’t know, for example, that last year her management team were reportedly keen to haul her into rehab for her drinking?

'Oh! Trust me,’ she says with an eye-roll, 'there are endless stories out there. But it’s a matter of being in this business, and it’s a matter of taking the punches.

'And hey, at the end of the day, if I’m getting to do what I love, and share my message and my stories with the world, and share my voice and my gift with my fans and bring out a positive message, then so be it, right? I’ll take the bullets.’

Those bullets seem to bounce off Aguilera. Of her electronic-flavoured last album, for example, widely seen as an ill-conceived attempt to out-Gaga Lady Gaga, she says,'“Bionic” wasn’t this commercially acceptable, packaged-up, proper thing. But it was an experimental, beautiful piece of work that will live on in time and make its mark later on in its life. It was very artistic.’

She also refuses to see Burlesque – the tale of a small-town girl pursuing her dreams of a life on the stage (taking her clothes off) – as a bit of silly fluff.

Rather, Aguilera talks of drawing on the pain of her own difficult upbringing to play a character who had lost her mother in childhood.

'It’s probably not something you have to do,’ she says of her method. 'But I try to make things as real and honest as possible.

'I feel things deeply. That’s why the tough exterior is important. Vulnerability and weakness is something that I’ve had a problem showing since childhood.

'That’s why it’s empowering for me to be able to be open nowin talking about vulnerability. It’s a release.’

She is not so open, however, that she will discuss her divorce from Bratman last year, nor any impact it has had on their son. Will she at least tell me who took custody of the couple’s collection of 10 artworks by the British street artist Banksy?

And now Christina Aguilera’s assistant is trying to wind up our interview. But before we go I have one more story to put to the singer.

Last year the television watchdog Ofcom censured Aguilera for her 'overly sexual’ performance on The X Factor.

She and Rihanna (who appeared in a separate episode) were found to have overstepped the mark, but Aguilera received the strongest criticism.

She and her dancers wore costumes that, to quote Ofcom, 'were revealing, with limited coverage of the buttocks that were of a sexualised nature because they were based on lingerie such as basques, stockings and suspenders’.

So, I say, you were deemed ruder than Rihanna, the reigning queen of risqué pop performances. She claps her hands delightedly.

'I wouldn’t have it any other way!’ Aguilera laughs, and, for once, it sounds uncontrollably real.

Astala Dylan Willow Geldof-Cohen was born in April 2012 and they plan on naming their next child, also a boy, Phaedra.

On choosing the name It's a name that comes from an ancient Greek play. But it also features in a song Tom and I both love called Some Velvet Morning by Lee Hazlewood.

On having children so close in age Finding out I was pregnant again so soon was quite a shock. I, on the other hand, did have a momentary panic and go... Oh my God, we're going to have a one-year-old and a one-month-old! How will we cope? But Tom was so supportive and relaxed, it banished my doubts and I started imagining the two boys growing up together as the best of friends. It will be great for Astala to have Phaedra to play with. There's a similar age difference between myself and my sister Pixie and we've always been very close.

On not recognizing the signs When I was pregnant with Astala I had a condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which meant I was sick all day, every day, for five months, but this time round it was just on two occasions and very mildly, so I didn't clock what was going on. What made me take a test was that I started getting a pregnancy tummy – I already have a very noticeable bump. When the test came up positive, Tom remembered that I'd been craving these particular sour sweets, which I've only ever eaten when I've been pregnant. He said, How could we not have guessed?

On how she thinks Astala will handle the transition Astala's such a happy sociable little boy. I think he will adore having a sibling.

The invitation to join “The Real Housewives” couldn't have come at a better moment for Brandi.

The former fashion model says she was nearly broke, with little income and zero credit after husband Eddie Cibrian dumped her for country singer LeAnn Rimes three years ago.

“I was a 36-year-old woman who couldn’t lease a car and a house,” she tells The Post. “For 13 years, my name wasn’t on one account.”

She claims she ended up with nothing in the divorce. “We were living way above our means,” she admits, “in a 10,000-square-foot house. There wasn’t a lot to get, honestly.”

Glanville was eventually able to rent a modest, single-story home in LA’s San Fernando Valley.

“I had to pay the whole year in advance,” she admits. “I had to get my daddy to co-sign.”

The new TV gig is helping Glanville get back on her feet financially, but she remains locked in a nasty legal dispute with Cibrian, who has forbidden their two sons to appear on the show.

“When I am working I don’t get to see my children,” she says. “And that is not OK with me.“

She calls Cibrian “hypocritical” because “he does red carpets and all these paparazzi shoots with them. It is the same difference.”

She is no longer speaking to Rimes, who is suing a pair of Glanville supporters for what the country singer alleges is Internet bullying.

“I want the lawsuit to go away,” Glanville says. “It is not going to end up good for anyone. I want LeAnn to be fine. And to be happy. Just take my husband and go away.”

“If this show is gone tomorrow, I made the most of it. I joke that I whore myself out to anyone that will pay me. But that is kind of what is happening.”

Marisa Has Harsh Words For Lisa and Taylor!

We’ll soon be meeting Marisa on The Real Housewives, and it sounds like the newbie is going to have no problem stirring up trouble.

Marisa tells NY Daily News that Lisa isn’t quite as sweet in real life as she appears to be on the show.

“Lisa is very nice... on camera,” Marisa says cryptically. “Let’s just leave it at that.”

Marisa has equally harsh words for Taylor. “She’s one of those women who needs approval from other women because she’s insecure,” Marisa says.

She adds, “To be honest, I don’t think she really likes me either.”

“Camille and Adrienne probably have the most, and they are really cool and down to earth,” Marisa continues. “Taylor is insecure about that, for sure.”

“Girls would be arguing and we’d look at each other and be like, ‘Are you serious?’” Zanuck says of bonding with fellow newbie Yolanda during filming.

Zanuck is more generous about the recently separated Adrienne and Eddie Cibrian’s ex-wife, Brandi, who “is very much a girl’s girl. I think she says things of course without thinking about them and gets in trouble, but she’s such a nice girl,” Zanuck gushed.

If the name rings a bell, it’s because Marisa is married to Dean Zanuck, son of producer Richard Zanuck and a grandson of Darryl F. Zanuck — a co-founder of 20th Century Fox.

Zanuck says she would “possibly” return to the show for another season, if asked. “I’d have to wait and see how I feel about this season.”

But she does have some final words of wisdom after her first one: “Be careful whose toes you step on today, because they might be connected to the foot that kicks your ass tomorrow!”

Kyle Dishes on Yolanda And The Secret to Making Her Marriage Work!

PARADE Magazine: What’s the secret to making your marriage to Mario work when so many other Real Housewives’ marriages crumble?

Kyle Richards: I think it’s really about not getting caught up in the show and making your family your number one priority. For us, we have our own personal ways that we like to stay grounded, like the spiritual aspect of our lives. Whether you go to church or temple, I think it’s important to have that in your life. I think that’s probably what keeps us grounded.

There’s a real negative side to doing a show like this. There’s a backlash when it comes to reality TV fame. Why did you decide to continue with the show?For me, whether I came back or not this season wasn’t about my family because they’ve always been fine with it. My kids, they’re not impressed with the show. They come on if they walk into a room, but they don’t really care about being on the show and they’re not affected by it. It was a personal decision, but I also really thought a lot of good can come from doing these shows and we do have a lot of fun in spite of all the drama.

Tell us about the newest housewife, Yolanda H. Foster.I’ve known Yolanda from around town over the years and she’s beautiful and glamorous and very together. I’m excited to have her join the show. She’s a wonderful addition.

You’re tumultuous relationship with your sister Kim played out over Seasons 1 and 2. How are you two today?We’re in a much better place. Thank God. Yes, definitely in a much better place than we were Season 1 and Season 2. I don’t think it could get much worse than Season 1, that’s for sure. Things are good now, but I never know when we’re going to clash, we are sisters. We’re going to clash, so you never know when that’s going to change.

You released a book at the end of last year. What are you working on next?My biggest project right now is that I’ve just opened a new boutique right in the heart of Beverly Hills, and I’m really excited about that. It’s been a lot of fun and my dream to be a standing store right in Beverly Hills.

Are you a fan of the other Real Housewives’ franchises? Do you watch any of the others? Yes, I do. I watch all the other shows. I love watching all the other franchises! They’re all on the air at different times, so I always have a different favorite. Right now, I’m very intrigued with New Jersey and the whole drama with Teresa and her brother and that whole thing. I’m watching the reunion just going, ‘Oh my God, I can’t even believe what I’m seeing.’ Better them than me right now!

How do you handle watching yourself on TV each week?We get the DVDs a week early, so we can write our blogs for Bravo TV, so my family always jokes when the FedEx comes and we hear it drop on the doorstep. We gasp for air and just look at it and stare at it a while before we have the courage to open the envelope. Sometimes there’s things in the episode where I go, ‘That was so much fun! I’m really glad we got to do this,’ and other times I dread what I’m seeing and I dread some of the things I’ve done or said.

Yolanda Calls the Other Housewives “Unnaturally Uptight”!

Yolanda writes in her Bravo blog that she had never seen the show before joining the cast and didn’t entirely know what to expect. “Everyone seems unnaturally uptight, but I am sure I will get the hang of it soon,” she writes.

Yolanda feels she may have misinterpreted Brandi Glanville’s comment about having slept with everyone. “It was a little display of humility, not a dig at me or a form of bragging,” Yolanda says now. “Regardless of how it was interpreted, I think Brandi is an amazing woman, and I think our friendship will certainly develop.”

Brandi wasn’t the only person Yolanda looks forward to getting to know better. “It was also great to connect with Kim (my water buddy!) while she confronts some prior sources of tension,” Yolanda continues.

“Kim and I got along so well despite me having the same birthday as her beloved sister, Kyle, who is clearly not always her biggest ally in life. So much to learn!”

Alex McCord Gives Brandi Props for Accepting the ‘Villain Role’!!

Former The Real Housewives of New York castmember Alex McCord is applying her inside knowledge and sharp tongue to Celebuzz’s coverage of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.

In McCord’s exclusive video blog of Monday’s season premiere, the New York mom gives her take on the return of Brandi Glanville, the shifting friendships this season and the moments that made the biggest impact.

What did she think of Brandi’s return as a full-fledged housewife? What moments felt like setups? How does she feel about post-rehab Kim Richards? And quarrelling former besties Lisa Vanderpump and Adrienne Maloof?

Nashville fans have a reason to cheer. ABC has just ordered a full season of the freshman country series.

The Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere drama has received a pickup for nine more hours. The Tuesday night series joins ABC’s freshman aliens-next-door comedy The Neighbors in getting an extension into spring. ABC also ordered three more scripts each for Friday comedies Malibu Country and Last Man Standing, which have performed solidly in their block the past couple weeks.

No word yet on fellow freshman dramas Last Resort and 666 Park Avenue. Nashville has performed a bit better than either of them, though industry buzz has speculated that one of them (likely Last Resort) would receive an order for more episodes. ABC points out that Nashville attracts an upscale audience, pulling 30 percent higher ratings among Adults 18-49 in homes with at least $100,000 in annual income to make it the “top indexing” new broadcast drama.

Lindsay's also on Leno on the 20th, promoting her new film, Liz & Dick. This is the first part of the interview, which happened in June on the set of the film. The second part was supposed to happen this month, but Lindsay's PR team cancelled it.Source

Ex-Guns N' Roses bassist-turned-financial advisor Duff McKagan has admitted he regrets not officially licensing his name – because he has missed out on a fortune in royalties from The Simpsons.

Speaking to the Independent, the rocker revealed that an official from Fox TV contacted him in the 80s to tell him that one of the station's new shows had named their fictional beer 'Duff' in honour of his former fondness for booze.

He said: "I knew nothing about branding yourself then or the royalties off it. I just thought cool, they wanna use my name and boom, The Simpsons was born. Yeah, if I had a nickel for every time… but it's fine."

In September of this year, McKagan revealed that he used to suffer from depression. The Velvet Revolver rocker admitted that he had "sunk into a thick, black state of being" after the terrorist attacks which took place in America on September 11, 2001, but said he had since overcome his problems.

McKagan was part of the classic line-up of Guns N' Roses who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in April of this year. However, their achievement was slightly overshadowed by protracted speculation over whether lead singer Axl Rose would attend the ceremony. He eventually declined to participate in the celebrations – although Adrian Bayford, the man who won £148 million in a EuroMillions lottery draw last month, pledged that he would spend a part of his new fortune on reuniting the band.

The woman best known as the voice of Smurfette (to my generation anyway), as well as Miss Bitters (Invader Zim), Anastasia in Cinderella, as well as background voices for most every animation company known, passed away from unknown causes on Thursday, November 8th.

From TVSeriesFinale.com

Veteran character actor and voiceover artist Lucille Bliss has passed away at the age of 96. She died on Thursday, November 8th.

A native of New York, Bliss lived in both San Francisco and Los Angeles throughout her career. Her first professional voiceover job was playing wicked stepsister Anastasia in Walt Disney’s classic 1950 feature film, Cinderella.

She went on to play Auntie Lou on ABC/KRON-TV’s Birthday Party Show and have a long career in commercials and animated cartoons. Bliss was the original voice of Crusader Rabbit, the voice of the Kanine Krunchies jingle in 101 Dalmations, Miss Bitters in Invader Zim, and literally played hundreds of other roles.

She will likely be best remembered for playing spunky Smurfette on The Smurfs, a hugely successful animated series that ran on Saturday mornings on NBC for nine seasons.

Iconic space villain Darth Vader is to be brought back from the dead for a new trilogy of Star Wars films. Following news that Disney has bought the rights to the lucrative sci-fi franchise and plans to make at least three more movies, industry insiders say the evil Vader will grace the big screen again.

“He’s an integral part of the franchise. Replacing him is virtually impossible,” explains a film mole. “The plan is for him to return and play a significant role in the new films.”

Former bodybuilder turned actor David Prowse donned the black body armour in the original three films but the character was voiced by James Earl Jones.

Actor Hayden Christensen, who starred in the subsequent Star Wars prequels, was the last actor to appear in the suit following his character Anakin Skywalker’s descent to the Dark Side.

Writer Michael Arndt is already working on the new Star Wars scripts.

The plan is for Darth Vader to return and play a significant role in the new films.

Fellow old favourites Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia – played by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher – have already been tipped to reprise their respective roles.

While Vader seemingly met his end in the 1983 film The Return Of The Jedi it seems this will not stop his comeback.

Teen newcomer Austin Mahone has locked in an opening slot on Taylor Swift's massive and highly anticipated RED Tour. He will appear on at least six dates of the country star's 2013 trek.

The YouTube sensation, whose current hit "Say Somethin" is climbing up the charts, got his start by posting covers of pop songs online. Some 90 million views and 500,000 YouTube subscribers later, Mahone is now signed to a major label deal through Chase Records and Universal Republic, and recently sold out New York's Best Buy Theater and LA’s Palladium Theater. His strong and growing fanbase, known as “Mahomies,” have boosted his success by consistently supporting Mahone through social media (he has attracted over 1.4 million Facebook fans and 1.2 million Twitter followers).

Mahone’s momention has made the press take notice as well. The Wall Street Journal hailed Mahone as one of the “five leading contenders to be the next Bieber.” While The Hollywood Reporter was the first major outlet to feature the Texas native. The long-form piece called “The Making of Baby Bieber” is currently up for a National Entertainment Journalism Award.Mahone himself seems ecstatic with the news, exclaiming, “I still can't believe I’m opening for Taylor! I’m so appreciative and excited for this opportunity. Getting to play in stadiums, and it’s with one of the biggest artists in the world! I can't wait!”

His dates on the tour begin on May 4. More information can be found on the official Austin Mahone Facebook page.

While it’s common knowledge that Alexis Krauss brings the noise in a big way on stage with her band Sleigh Bells, the punk songstress is also quickly proving that she’s more than just a saccharine-voiced siren. When she wasn’t campaigning for Obama in Chicago, helping out the Red Cross's post-Sandy disaster relief efforts, or making adult beverages for Anthony Bourdain, Krauss has been strutting her stuff in front of the camera. She stars in a subversive-cool Spring 2013 lookbook for label Obesity & Speed and is one of the famous faces gracing the brand-new Sephora holiday campaign (pictured, exclusively). ELLE.com recently spoke with Krauss to catch up on her latest non-music gigs, the Sleigh Bells aesthetic, and her new modeling stints.

ELLE: The Obesity & Speed project seems tailor-made for you. How did it come about?

Alexis Krauss: Obesity & Speed is one of the labels that I’ve had a longstanding relationship with. As Sleigh Bells developed, I always felt that Obesity was super in-line with what we were trying to do. Lyz [Olko] from Obesity was talking about how they wanted to present the collection and asked me if I was interested in modeling for it.

ELLE: That connection you have with Lyz from Obesity & Speed really comes across in the lookbook. It's like an extension of a Sleigh Bells video.

AK: I couldn’t agree more. Although I really appreciate fashion I am always careful about what brands I endorse. I am the singer of Sleigh Bells, so whenever I agree to do something I am always thinking about the band.

ELLE: How did this stunning Sephora campaign originate?

AK: I was in Spain at the Primavera Sound music festival, and even though it required me to fly back to America, I decided that the shoot was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and something that I had to do. And once I found out the nature of the shoot, that it is about real women like me—actresses, entrepreneurs, public figures, and badass women, like Leelee Sobieski and Parker Posey—it just felt right Also, it was exciting to do a holiday campaign. My mom gets to go to the mall and see my photographs.

ELLE: So, you’re known for your signature denim cutoff-jeans look. Will you be hanging up your hot pants anytime soon?

AK: I like sort of doing things in record cycles. Reign of Terror has been about badass '80s-inspired style. For the third record, I have to think about how our style is going to evolve to fit the music.

Obesity & Speed Campaigns

Remember a couple of weeks ago when Obesity & Speed's Lyz Olko hinted that her upcoming collection was going to be totally BANANAS?! OK, so maybe those were our words, not hers, but the truth remains— the New York designer has outdone herself yet again, this time injecting her signature grungy basics with a decidedly sporty twist. Think shortsleeved sweatshirts with mesh insets, shredded tie-dye tees, and awesome "Can't Lose" tanks that remind us a lot of our old lacrosse pinnies....except a lot cooler, of course. Plus, this season comes with an added bonus— the spring lookbook stars none other than Sleigh Bells frontwoman Alexis Krauss as the ultimate cheerleader dropout. Win-win!

According to Lyz, the collection is inspired by "the punks under the bleachers and the secretly blossoming wallflowers," and we really can't think of a more perfect model than the Sleigh Bells singer. "I've been a fan of hers for some time now, and we became friends when she came to pick up a jacket at my studio some time ago now," Lyz remembers. "I was blown away by how distractedly beautiful she was almost immediately upon her entry. But on top of that, she is beyond cool, smart and a real friend."

We're used to seeing Alexis in ripped denim, studded jackets, and yep, even a vintage wedding dress, but who knew she had an athletic side? She totally pulls off the O+S graphic tops and sweatshirts with her trademark Ray-Bans, red lips, nail art, and major 'tude (PS- can we place an order for that "Can't Lose" jersey now?! Kthanks.).

The collection might allude to school spirit (well, kinda),but let's be real— you definitely don't have to still be going to class in order to appreciate these loosely collegiate clothes. Lyz puts it best, "You don't have to be true to your school with this collection, but you might find your favorite new sweatshirt." So what are you waiting for? Shop Obesity & Speed now here and keep your eyes peeled for Spring 2013, dropping soon!

"The X Factor's" results show Thursday night certainly had its share of surprises -- in particular, the revelation that country singer Tate Stevens leads the pack of remaining talent in the top 12.

The one most blindsided by the news, however, was show producer and judge Simon Cowell, who voiced his befuddlement in a post-show interview with journalists.

“I thought my acts were doing much better than what was revealed tonight, so we do have to change a few things up,” he said.

Cowell revealed that it was his call to return ousted contestant Diamond White to the stage, a decision that was favorable for Britney Spears. He also was not surprised by the last-place finish of Jason Brock.

"I never believed he had a cat in hell's chance of winning," said the quotable Brit. "He is what he is -- a nice guy, a cabaret singer -- but he does not have the X factor."

Cowell also was confounded about his miscalculation that Emblem3 would finish atop the leader board.

"My acts are going to need a big confidence boost," he said. "Sometimes when you have a record out, you think you're going to go in at No. 1 but you go in at No. 8. So your second record has to be better. That's how I treat it."

Cowell shared his thoughts about the big change to reveal contestant rankings, as well as what it was like to watch the series' success story, One Direction, perform for the first time in front of the seasoned judge since their time on the British version of "X Factor."

Tell us about the ranking decision. Was that a huge thing to do?I suggested this about three or four weeks ago. I said what might be interesting is the one thing everyone wants to know -- including me -- every week, is who won. So I said, "What if we just tell everyone, then see what happens?"

As creator and one of the executive producers of the show, it’s hard to believe you didn't know the order already.You know, even last year I had no idea.

Last year we had that great Rachel Crow moment that came out of nowhere. Do you think showing the results will take away from that, the surprise moment?I don't know, I think we should try for a couple of weeks, and we can always bring it back in. Certainly it's the right thing to do this week because now we know where we stand. Particularly for someone like Beatrice Miller, and perhaps Arin Ray, who may have been thinking they were doing much better than they were. They have to change their game plan now.

What was the biggest surprise for you out of that?I would say Emblem3 not doing better. I thought they would have been top three. But I said this about the U.K. show. When the U.K. show finished, we published the vote results and I thought One Direction was winning every week. We never won a single week. If I had known earlier on, I would have made a change.

They said this was the first time they had performed in front of you since 'The X Factor.'It was a blast. Just to see how far they have come and remembering how they were formed in the first place. It could easily been that we said goodbye to them as individuals, but we took a risk with them and they took the opportunity and … now look where they are. I think it was a good example for the other contestants on the show that if you do well on the shows, you can have a massive career when the show ends if you’re smart.

Who do you think has changed the most since the first time you watched them perform?Zayn Malik. He definitely has more confidence and was the shy one in the group. In fact, he nearly didn't make it on one of the boot camp days. I had to drag him from the back of the auditorium and say, "You are going to do this." He was about to walk out. He was just so shy. So to see him, it's a big difference.

Are there more surprises in store besides the ranking?I don't think we can bring anyone else back. But the ranking thing is something we will consider week on week, if we do it or not. It was the right thing to do tonight. And it has pissed me off.

You can keep your chain mail and cuisses, because Snow White is gittin’ it done in crisp J. Crew and dark-wash denim in the next new episode of Once Upon a Time.

Airing Nov. 25, the episode “Into the Deep” finds Cora doing everything in her power to steal the enchanted compass away from Mary Margaret and Emma, lest they find the portal to Storybrooke first. From the looks of this batch of photos, Cora has called upon some goons to get in the gals’ way. Snow, though, has forgotten more about archery and hand-to-hand combat than Katniss will ever learn, and daughter Emma’s no slouch either.

Meanwhile, how much faster might the femmes find their way through the woods if Aurora streamlined her look by shedding a layer or seven? Them flowy frills are just screaming to get snagged on tree branches.

Elsewhere in the episode, Regina and Mr. Gold put David’s life in jeopardy in an attempt to put him in contact with Mary Margaret, to deliver information that could help her and Emma return through the portal back to Storybrooke.

ONCE UPON A TIME 2X08 SYNOPSIS - "Into the Deep" - Cora does everything in her power to steal the compass away from Mary Margaret and Emma in her quest to find the entrance to Storybrooke. Meanwhile, in order to protect Henry from further danger, Regina and Mr. Gold must put David's life in jeopardy in an attempt to put him in contact with Mary Margaret across the lands to give her vital information that could help her and Emma return through the portal back to Storybrooke, on "Once Upon a Time," SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.